Skip to main content

A film version of The Last of Us is on the way

film version last us way the of nominee
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A film version of the Naughty Dog game The Last of Us has been confirmed, and Screen Gems has signed on to distribute, according to Variety. Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures will produce, and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, the creative director and writer of the game, will write the script.

Now, before you go getting excited, keep in mind that this is still just a distribution agreement. The script hasn’t been written yet, no one has been cast, and nothing has been shot. Games are optioned all the time (check out or list of the games that may or may not become movies for proof of that), and many of them end up going nowhere. Even films with powerful backing can find themselves repeatedly going nowhere – take Sony’s Uncharted, for example, which just signed its third director in as many years.

Recommended Videos

With The Last of Us, things are looking good at the moment – very good – but temper your expectations. With that said, Naughty Dog seems to be excited, which is a good sign.

“Our partnership with Sam Raimi, Ghost House Pictures, and Screen Gems to develop a film based on The Last of Us universe is a perfect fit,” said Evan Wells, Naughty Dog’s co-president. “Since our game released last June, we’ve talked with many companies about making a film, but we couldn’t have found better partners who share our creative vision and high standards. We look forward to collaborating with Sam, his team, and Screen Gems, to make a movie that will thrill fans of The Last of Us and general audiences worldwide.”

The Last of Us takes place 20 years after an outbreak of a fungus found in nature has turned most of humanity into violent, mindless creatures. A young girl named Ellie holds the key to the future, and it falls to a bitter and burned-out man named Joel to safely take her across an America reclaimed by nature and occupied by monsters. Along the way they face many dangers, but none more dangerous than other people.

The story has received numerous awards, including ours for Most Thought Provoking Game. It’s a game that is ripe for a film adaptation, and should lend itself well to the big screen. The developers at Naughty Dog took great pains to make sure the game is at least somewhat realistic. The people Joel and Ellie come across run the gamut from good to horrible, while the creatures remain a constant threat. At its heart though, it’s the story of Joel and Ellie and the bond they form.

No hint of a release date, yet. Once Druckmann finishes work on the script, we may here some potential casting news – just accept that potential news with a grain of salt until filming begins.

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered turns the original game into a cruel punch line
Lev draws a bow in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered.

It was a sunny spring day in 2020, amid the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I beat The Last of Us Part 2. As its long credits rolled, I paced around my small apartment living room, unpacking what had transpired. I adored the sequel’s first two acts and its multifaceted discussion of cyclical violence, but I found myself critical of its California-set finale. It seemed to backtrack on all the nuance of Ellie and Abby’s struggle by introducing a definitively evil faction that I wouldn’t feel bad about shooting with a machine gun. It was a discordant note at the end of a symphony, but I was determined to dig below my surface reading and try to understand what Naughty Dog was going for. It had earned that.

That’s when I was hit by the one moment of the game I’ll never forget. As I was deep in reflection, the credits wrapped up, and a final bit of text splashed on the screen. As a reward for finishing the brutal story, I had unlocked New Game+ mode, which would encourage me to replay it again with all my upgraded guns. The benefit of the doubt I’d given Naughty Dog went out the window; did the studio even understand its own game?

Read more
The Last of Us Online’s cancellation is the right move for Naughty Dog
The second piece of The Last of Us multiplayer concept art shows two players walking toward a beached yacht.

After a long period of silence on the project, and numerous reports of a beleaguered and troubled development, Naughty Dog has finally pulled the plug on its The Last of Us online multiplayer project. It was originally planned as an online mode paired with The Last of Us Part II, much like Factions accompanied the first game. But at some point, the scope and direction of the mode was changed and it was decided that it would be a standalone title. Over three years later, with nothing but concept art shown from the game, it has b4een officially scrapped.

While that may come as a disappointment to Naughty Dog fans looking forward to its take on a live-service game set in The Last of Us universe, its cancellation is a necessity for the company. It's a hard decision that will allow the studio to continue doing what it does best rather than giving in to what's trendy.
Cutting losses
Naughty Dog's official statement on why it decided to halt production on this project paints a very clear picture: the studio wanted to put the same amount of time, care, and ambition into every component of The Last of Us Online as it would a single-player title. After evolving into a full live-service effort, upholding that level of quality would have become the studio's sole focus. Seeing the road it was about to embark on, Naughty Dog had to choose between becoming a studio that only made The Last of Us Online, or one that could continue to create single-player experiences that have helped define PlayStation's modern image. It was both a hard decision and an obvious choice.

Read more
Naughty Dog confirms The Last of Us Part II Remastered following leak
Key art for The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Naughty Dog officially announced and released the first trailer for a remaster of 2020's critically acclaimed The Last of Us Part II. The developer was forced to announce The Last of Us Remastered Part II Remastered a bit early after it leaked Friday afternoon. Thankfully, the wait for the remaster won't be long, as it's coming to the PlayStation 5 in two months.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered - Announce Trailer | PS5 Games

Read more